Perfect Illusion
by Exquisiteliltart
Summary: Emma's POV, Swan Queen, episode divergence of "Wish you were here" the midseason finale of OUAT. AKA the super swan queen episode.
1. Chapter 1

The flowers looked particularly beautiful in this section of the Enchanted Forest. It was one of Emma's favorite places to frolic and sing as she pined for her prince to come. She wasn't so naïve not to realize that she had been betrothed – Baelfire had given her their beautiful son—but he was gone. She'd been widowed during the ogre wars. He had met a noble death, but deep down, Emma knew that he had not been her true love.

Her true love was yet to come into her life.

"Emma?"

She stopped mid-twirl as she heard her name called from yonder. Looking up through the forest trees, she caught sight of the person who had called to her. She blinked as the briefest flicker of recognition warmed her over, but then as the figure came closer, the recognition spiked a flood of adrenaline. The evil queen was _smiling_ at her and waving like she was an old friend.

But no, this couldn't be happening. The Evil Queen had been banished since right before Emma's own birth 28 years prior from today. How was she standing here now? She didn't appear threatening, but with the strange dress and casual demeanor, Emma knew it was a deceit of the highest order. She would not fall for this trickery.

"Emma, what on earth are you doing?" The Evil Queen laughed in disbelief, while Emma squinted in suspicion and half hid behind a tree. The queen sauntered forward and plucked a flower from her basket, making Emma flinch in fear. She watched the queen cast her gaze down at the flower and lift her eyebrow. "Yellow. It is believed that this color flower symbolizes optimism, enlightenment, and happiness."

"What do you know of happiness?" Emma snipped and snatched her flower back from the Queen's glove. She was surprised to see the sadness behind the Evil Queen's eyes as she looked back at her thoughtfully.

An arrow from Emma's mother's quiver zipped over the Queen's head as she narrowly avoided getting shish-kabobed.

During the exchange with the rightful King and Queen of the Enchanted Forest, Emma couldn't help but feel like something was off about this Evil Queen. She'd heard stories of the kingdom's greatest adversary as her bedtime story (and waking story) for her entire life. Thankfully, Emma had been raised in a peaceful time. Aside of the ongoing ogre wars, but those battles had been to the west. The Enchanted Forest knew only prosperity for the past 28 years.

The Evil Queen showed no fear against the blade or arrow that threatened her and Emma puzzled over the strange feeling this triggered inside her. That sense of courage seemed altogether familiar and distant like a dream.

"For God's sake, Emma-come on, remember already!" The Queen yelled at her before disappearing in a haze of purple magic. Emma's lips parted at the display of magic, she'd never seen an act like that outside of what the fairies did to ensure the harvests were abundant.

Emma took her basket of flowers back to the sanctuary of the castle. The guards rushed her inside, forbidding her from anymore unsupervised woods frolic sessions while the Evil Queen was back and on the loose. She clearly wanted vengeance and to take over the kingdom while vanquishing the happiness of all who lived in the Enchanted Forest.

As she listened to her parents fret and argue with the council, Emma couldn't help but wonder if the stories she'd heard of the queen were all true. Her parents did have a tendency to be a bit hyperbolic, if not over-simplistic in what exactly went down before she was born. She wondered why the Queen had returned and why now?

She seemed to have an important and insistent message for Emma, and yet she'd spoken to her like she knew her, but the queen had been banished and defeated on the day of Emma's birth. She had never met the woman, just lived in the shadow of her larger than life legends.

But there was something about her that Emma couldn't shake.

"Don't you agree, Princess?"

Emma had zoned out, and now her attention was being tested by her mother, "I'm sorry, what?"

Snow clasped her hands together in front of her around the table, "I said that we need to go through with Henry's knighting ceremony as if everything is normal."

King Charming ran his fingers across his chin in thought as he nodded in agreement, "I concur with Snow, the Evil Queen feeds from dissension and we cannot let her beat us- not now, not ever. The knighting ceremony for our grandson will proceed unheeded."

Emma narrowed her eyes in thought. A shiver ran through her body despite her fine leathers and fur cape. The Evil Queen was certainly one thing, but the prince-like woman she had met in the woods did not seem evil. She seemed familiar… because she had a secret that she could not voice: not to her parents, her loyal maids or even her beloved son.

The woman in the woods, dressed sharply in her gold buttoned jacket, beautiful face and short, strange flippy hair, was the same woman she recognized from her dream about Storybrooke. Regina… and she couldn't be the evil queen, because she had seen her there too. They were twins or something created from one but split in two by magic. She knew it, but she would be thought mad if she dared to admit it.

Besides she knew her parents wouldn't take her seriously. With a somber gaze and lips pulled into a frown, she worried on what it all possibly meant.

Emma needed time to devise a plan. She knew it was foolish and dangerous. She probably wouldn't get past the guard who stood by her chamber door, but she was dead set and determined to try. She had to meet with the woman from the woods- the woman from her dream, again. This time she would demand answers.


	2. Chapter 2

" _Tryin' to get control_ _  
_ _Pressure's takin' its toll_ _  
_ _Stuck in the middle zone_ _  
_ _I just want you alone"_

 **A/N: Thanks to everyone for the encouragement, and support. Reviews and suggestions appreciated!**

…

"The Queen! The Evil Queen!" Emma shouted as she ran out of her room and pointed inside. Her guard threw back his mask and looked her over.

Maybe she was acting a bit over the top, but her goal was to instill a sense of panic so the guard would go in to investigate and leave the palace corridor clear so she could make her escape.

"Milady, fear not!" Chad exclaimed as he drew his sword in a valiant effort to protect the princess. "Did that debaucherously dangerous woman attempt to defile you, my Princess?"

"Oh yes! She's here to get me. I think she's hiding in my wardrobe. Please help!" Emma raised the back of her palm to her forehead and sighed in dramatic fashion. Chad charged through the doors of Emma's chamber and raced to her closet. "Yes, here…please investigate."

The stories of the Evil Queen and her evil deeds Emma had learned from her bard during childhood had been severely neutered for her young ears and sensibilities, but as she had grown and became wiser to the ways of the world, she had learned about the Evil Queen's alleged appetite for sexual violence. It did not surprise her that Chad would assume the Queen had returned for a nefarious dark and erotic purpose.

The assumption raised goosebumps on Emma's arms and she couldn't help but must about what she would do and feel if the Evil queen came to her with that agenda in mind. The woman in her dreams wasn't like that unless Emma dug deeper into her dream memories, but she didn't have time to contemplate those particular implications presently.

Chad took a deep breath and puffed out his chest as he peered into the large dark wardrobe. "I don't see her…Show yourself, Evil one!"

"I think she's in there deep. Go all the way in," Emma coaxed Chad to take a few tentative steps inside amongst her array of poofy gowns. As soon as he disappeared behind a curtain of fabric she threw the doors shut and placed a fire poker over through the latch to trap him.

"Princess?! What are you doing?!"

"Sorry, Chad," Emma muttered as she quickly grabbed her bag of supplies from under her bed. She didn't know how long she'd be gone or _if_ she would return home. She knew she had to make a fast break for the woods. It was the first time she'd actively deceived her guard, who had vowed to protect and fearlessly serve her family, but she did what she needed to.

Emma had grown up in this castle. She'd played hide and seek with her nannies and then, when she had her own son, they had spent hours exploring the corridors and vast rooms. She knew the palace intimately and it worked to her advantage as she stole away into the night.

Exiting through a sub-level passage, it was a long walk through the forgotten, musky and cobweb infested dirt floored tunnels, but her torch burned true and soon she emerged on the other side of the lake that surrounded her castle. She extinguished the flame of her torch so the guard acting as lookout would not see her fire and she could remain undetected.

Like the palace, she was very familiar with the royal fields and the Enchanted Forest, but she had little experience being out alone and at night. She recalled returning by carriage from the summer palace late at night, sleepy and warm and cradled in her father's strong arms as she looked out the small round window.

 _Things_ shifted in the forest at night, creatures roamed freely for the dark was their time. That's what her father had whispered in her ear as she had wondered curiously about her world.

Now, the world she knew: of flowers, birds and sunshine had been temporarily replaced by the night time. As she entered a whole new and foreign place of darkness, she knew she had to be stealthy, light on her feet, and quiet so as not to draw attention to herself.

Emma told herself that this was important. She reminded herself and drew strength, despite her natural fear, that this quest was something she had to do. She searched the dark brambles and underbrush of the woods for the woman known as the most gruesome and violent, destructive force in myth and legend.

The temperature had dropped and it was colder than she had anticipated, a strong wind whistled relentlessly through the trees as the leaves rustled ominously. After a time of stumbling around the woods, Emma begun to doubt her plan: in her rush to escape the castle, she realized how shortsighted she had been. It was unlikely that the Evil Queen would simply be hanging out and roaming the woods all night.

She recalled more stories and fairytales she had heard time and again. Her own mother, during her exile had survived in the woods while she was on the run from the very same woman Emma was currently looking for. Queen Snow- a princess at the time, like Emma hadn't had the skills of hunting and survival taught to her, but she had somehow managed to thrive.

The thought of living out here was unconscionable, and just as tears sprung forth in her eyes along with a wellspring of doubt that had her turning on her feet to race back to the safety of home, Emma let in the memories of her dream of Storybrooke. The Evil Queen had this fiery and passionate smile. In her dream, Emma had not felt fear when she had turned her gaze on her; she'd only felt compassion and devotion to the woman. In her dream, she had actually vowed to protect Regina in much the same way Chad and the other guards vowed to protect her. It was devotion without regard to her own safety. Emma realized that in her dream she was certain she would lay down her life if it meant keeping the Evil Queen safe.

With a renewed determination to understand how these feelings could be, she trudged onwards, deeper through the woods, with a new destination in mind: The Evil Queen's deserted castle.


	3. Chapter 3

_Big swig, toss another beer can_

 _Too lit, tonight, prayin'_

 _On the moonlight_

 _Baby let's get high_

 **A/N: I received a prompt for Iswearreginaismine forever ago asking for Emma to accidentally get high on a plant…**

…

Emma thought back to her old storybooks and the maps of the kingdom she had seen many times. The Evil Queen's castle, also happened to be where her mother had experienced her childhood and come of age before. She knew the story of her grandfather, King Leopold, well and how the Evil Queen went, well -evil.

Even in the dark forest it wasn't difficult to find her bearings and head toward the old castle, but there was a problem. The Enchanted Forest was dense, and she didn't dare to travel on the road so it took hours of hiking for her to even hope to be getting close to her destination.

She was hungry, and had already devoured the meager bit of bread and pastrami she'd brought along for the journey. Emma knew herself well enough to realize the moment her blood sugar started to drop even a point, the hanger started, and became acutely aware of the thin green vines hanging down from the trees covered in sweet, juicy raspberries.

After eating one handful of the small berries, and then two handfuls she started to feel her energy increase and continued onward with renewed focus. Finally, she came to a clearing and looked up in the direction of the abandoned castle. She made out its pointy phallic shape illuminated by the moonlight, and smiled. Now she knew she was close to her destination.

But something wasn't quite right. Her head felt light, her breathing ragged and even her eye sight started to smudge and smear liked the edges of her reality were blurred. She paused to catch her breath, and clutched onto a nearby tree branch, hauling her ass over to plop down on an old stump to take a break.

 _How could she feel so strange? She had just eaten_ -Emma gasped in realization. Those must not have been raspberries. Suddenly worried she had just consumed some poisonous forbidden fruit, couple with being so far from home, out of her element, cold and now _surely_ dying from delicious, sweet little juicy raspberries... _whatever would she do?_

The haze settled in her brain heavier and ever more oppressive, making rational thought difficult. It felt like getting drunk on ale and mead at royal balls, (which were the only times her parents had allowed her to drink, really.)

Without warning or preamble a loud, long raucous laugh escaped her mouth. Her whole body shook from the force of it before she had a chance to clamp a hand over her lips. Her eyes darted back and forth looking for signs that she'd been heard by some nocturnal creature, but then she forgot again… and laughed as she skipped off to meet— _who was it? Oh right, the kingdom's public enemy numero uno, that little smexy, sexy, polka dot queeennnnnnnnnnnnie._

….

Emma had wandered on through the forest chasing a hallucination…a howling wolf? A dragon? A yellow horseless carriage? Everything was all jumbled up and shifting like the shadows. Just when she'd focus and get close to pinning down who or what she was chasing it would change again and escape her. Why did her dreams have to go and become so real?

She accidently kind of found the 'back door' of the old castle as she stumbled through the final bit of forest and ended up in a structured yet unkempt garden. Emma stayed quiet and cautious because she felt super paranoid about being seen, and then she heard not just one voice, but two voices… These voices belong to women, real women, not fake dragon queens or whatever else Emma's imagination vividly implanted in her adorably poisoned brain.

Oh! Yes, she needed to listen closely to make out _the words_ , _the words, the words_ …

Emma peered cautiously around a shrub, to make out the Evil Queen's figure pacing back and forth in front of a small fire near her infamous apple tree. She wasn't sure who she was speaking with until she heard that name.

"Maleficent, I know you're not real, but I need someone to discuss this with," Regina spoke in an exasperated tone. "I need to get Emma to wake up from this stupid wish."

"You want her to wake up? That seems counterintuitive… After all, you put her mother to sleep, why wouldn't you do the same to her? Just say the word, we can make it happen, just like we did with that little gnat, Aurora." Maleficent responded in a haughty drawl, and Emma realized she did really see a dragon flying over the castle.

She couldn't help but gasp in fear, her uncoordinated and heavy limbs wouldn't respond in time and flat out tripped over her stupid heavy cloak and flat out fell through the shrub she was hiding behind, and onto the cobbled patio.

She looked up through her intoxication and cringed: yep, the Evil Queen and Maleficent were staring back at her.

"Emma?" Regina rushed over to her and tried to help her to her feet, but Emma was fearful. She wouldn't take her hand…but maybe she should? She kinda wanted a hug. "Are you okay? What are you doing here?"

Emma scrambled up, finding it difficult to balance on her own two feet. She blinked rapidly several times as she felt her head loll back and forth on her shoulders. Everything was in slow motion and she couldn't talk…

"This is delightful!" Maleficent clapped her hands together and her lips twisted up into a devious smile. "What fortune we've found. Here is your precious princess, delivered to your doorstep in the dead of night. What should we do with her?"

"Whoa, slow down, Mal, something isn't right here. She's sick…what's that red juice all over her chin?" Regina put a hand out to halt Maleficent from coming any closer.

Emma tried to speak, instead she opened and closed her mouth, but no sound came out, and then she busted out in tears. She had no control over her emotions, and only a vague comprehension that she was in life-threatening danger.

"Oh, Goddess, she must have eaten some magic berries. Regina she's high…" Maleficent gestured at her in annoyance as Emma continued to gasp and sniffle.

"Is that right? Emma, did you eat some magic berries?" Regina asked her in a soft, unassuming voice.

She shrugged helplessly, "I thought they were raspberries…I was hu-hungry and I was walking for a long time…and, and… you're so..." Emma clamped her hand over untrustworthy face hole.

Regina was coming toward her slowly, and the fire was so bright, everything started spinning, and the next thing she knew she was falling over.

The Evil Queen caught her fall, and held her up. Then Emma lost consciousness.


	4. Chapter 4

Emma was out of it, she'd gone in and out of consciousness, but couldn't put in place how long she was out for. She remembered bits of pieces of what she presumed were the next events that occurred after she totally tumbled over into enemy arms. She was completely vulnerable and unable to control her body or will herself to fight or run away.

Emma had vague recollection that in her dreams she'd been quite good at running away, but she stood her ground when it mattered. It didn't matter anymore, she was surely going to die and leave Henry an orphan and her poor parents vulnerable to the Queen's terror filled reign anew.

She had been half carried half floated by magic into a warm bed. A warm wet cloth gently dragged across her mouth, presumably cleaning off the very unladylike telltale signs of her not!raspberry consumption.

"She's always had a hearty appetite, you should see her taken down a burger and fries—three bites and it disappears," Regina laughed softly with an air of fondness that confused Emma further.

She was completely helpless and subject to the will of the Evil Queen and to make matters worse the Dragon, Maleficent was with her. Everyone knew that she was arguably just as bad if not worse than the Evil Queen was!

Emma's parents had a long and harried history with both fallen queens and it was very stupid of her to seek out Regina. That much was clear even in her diminished and incapacitated state.

"Do I detect affection for this daughter of the Charming's?" It was Maleficent who mocked Regina, as they traded heated barbs and questions of what horrible fate she'd meet, right in front of her.

"Leave us be, Mal. I've got this," Regina's voice went hard as she sent the dragon away from wherever Emma had been taken to.

"You're going to torture her? Take her to the dungeon and put her in shackles?" Maleficent was riffing and throwing out ideas. "No…sexually defile the pure little angel? That sounds kind of fun. Let me help!"

"Please—please," Emma swallowed, her mouth felt incredibly dry and her voice was weak.

"Why does everyone assume that I want to sexually…? -Never mind, I don't want to know. Mal, please, leave us now."

"Fine, I have things to do anyway, but you better tell me all of the details tomorrow," Maleficent finally left the room, and Emma relaxed a bit. The Evil Queen had a very strange and nurturing energy that lulled her.

"Ssh, Emma, go to sleep…." Regina murmured and she felt her fingers brush across her forehead and stroke her cheek. "No one will bring you harm. You're safe now with me, and I'm going to wake you up from this dream and make you remember..."

Every fiber in Emma's being cried out at that audacious lie, but she couldn't find the strength to protest and fight. She was suddenly so tired, circling the edge of consciousness and having her hair stroked like that always put her out like a light-but it was the Evil Queen stroking her, how could she?

That was the last sense of feeling she could remember: The Evil Queen petting her in bed until she fully passed out.

…

She opened her eyes slowly, moaning in pain at the harsh sunlight as she became aware of a painful headache and permeating nausea deep in her rumbling belly.

"Owww," she grumbled, and for one blissful moment she was only aware of her physical discomfort, but that was quickly replaced with emotion. She woke up in a strange bed, feeling ill and quickly came to realize she was not alone.

"There's a bucket by your side of the bed if you're going to be sick," the groggy yet unmistakable voice of the Evil Queen informed her, and Emma felt the mattress dip as another body rolled over and shifted next to her. "And 3, 2, 1.." Regina counted down.

On cue, Emma felt bile rise in her throat and she leaned over the side of the bed, finding the promised bucket and emptied the contents of her stomach. It was very unprincesslike to puke in front of a stranger, but she couldn't help it. Besides the last thing she should worry on is appearing 'royal' whilst sharing bed covers with her arch nemesis.

A few minutes later, she was panting to regain her breath and her head was pounding worse than ever, Regina directed her to the fur draped night stand where she found an inviting glass of water and two small foreign looking beans.

"I magicked you up some Tylenol, swallow it and wash it down with the water," Regina said as she propped herself up to rest on her elbow and watch Emma closely.

"It's a trick…I know how you choose to poison your victims…" Emma admonished her and folded her arms across her chest in defiance. To her shock, Regina just rolled her eyes and laughed.

"Please, I have no need to poison you by way of fruit, Emma. Looks to me like you did that all on your own," she looked at her in a pointed way, and nodded toward the water and pills.

Emma drew in a breath, her mouth tasted foul, and she could use a drink, "What does Tylenol do to me?"

"It's medicine. It will relieve your headache," Regina explained patiently as she sat up in bed and stretched. "Since you're being so stubborn, and this is going to take longer than I thought to get you back to your old idiotic self, I used some magic to improve the amenities around here."

Regina left the bed, and Emma watched her closely. She was wearing a silky night garment and her long smooth, curvy thighs were practically bare. The Evil Queen was quite indecent and Emma gaped at her before quickly looking away when Regina caught her and shot back an uncomfortable looking smile. The matter was resolved when she slipped into a furry robe and tied it at the waist. Then she disappeared behind a door.

A few minutes later the Queen emerged looking refreshed. "You can use the bathroom, let me know if you can't figure out the toilet or shower, I'm sure you're not accustomed to modern plumbing."

"Excuse me?" Emma sat up fully and eyed the Tylenols on her bed stand. Her head really did hurt, and maybe if she took the tablets she would gain the Queen's trust and she'd be released?

"Where we come from- it's called a 'land without magic' but indoor plumbing and running water is a marvel no matter what realm you're in," Regina shrugged mischievously and watched as Emma decided to take her chances. She took a long drink from the water glass and quickly swallowed the pills.

Then she waited with wide eyes, frozen in fear for whatever spell to take effect.

"I don't feel any different," she said, feeling puzzled as she touched her face and stomach just to verify that she hadn't transformed into a mongoose or anything.

"It will take about 30 minutes to kick in," Regina crawled back into bed and Emma quickly crawled out to get away from her. "Until then, go wash up. You're filthy from traipsing through the woods last night. I can't believe I let you into my bed like that."

The audacity of the Evil Queen to judge her for being dirty! Emma snuck up her nose, "I didn't ask to sleep in your bed…"

"Yeah, you did, believe it or not," Regina grinned, her eyes alight, as she mocked her, "I'm so sleepy your majesty, please let me rest my head…"

"I did not!" Emma was aghast as she realized she didn't remember much of the night at all…the berries and the Queen stroking her hair…

She had a lot to ponder as she dashed into the bathroom, to hide her blush and embarrassment from Regina.


	5. Chapter 5

The cool water felt refreshing on Emma's heated face, even if the hard floor hurt her knees. She didn't know why the wash basin was so low to the ground, but Regina had explained she'd created the whole room along with its strange fixtures with her abhorrent magic.

As Emma washed the dirt from the woods off her face, she tried to dunk her braid in the shallow basin, and that was when Regina peeked around the doorway and gasped, interrupting her.

"Emma, stop! Why in the hell are you washing your hair in the _toilet_? You really don't remember, do you?" Regina admonished her just as an evil meanie would and pulled her back from the porcelain wash basin.

"What?" she replied in confusion. This was it: the end. The Evil Queen, despite showing kindness, could not be trusted. Emma knew she was dealing with a master of manipulation, and she was no match. The queen was going to drown her and laud her death over her parents and her son. She was sure of it…but at the same time, she didn't panic. She had no desire to run away. It was odd, as much as she felt she was supposed to be distrustful and frightened, she just couldn't get her emotions fully on board with the game plan.

"Take off your dress and get into the shower," Regina scolded her, and she sound less and less like the Evil Queen of lore and more like a commanding and harried mother dealing with a petulant child.

"Shower? That's where I.." Emma raised her eyebrows and scrunched her nose, feeling more embarrassment for not understanding this strange hygiene room.

Regina had the audacity to laugh at her and then she reached over to a special crank inside the 'shower' stall and started a tiny, magic waterfall. She sprayed off the floor, handed over a strange container that was labeled, 'Vanilla Bean & Shea Butter Body Emollient' and tugged on Emma's dress as if to say 'take it off now'.

"Take a proper shower, and enjoy the luxury of convenience, Princess. Well, do it!- you smell terrible. I can't believe I let you sleep in my bed…" Regina grumbled all the way out of the door, she shut it behind her. But Emma crossed the small room and locked it just to be sure. She didn't need to be barged in on when she was naked and vulnerable. The Queen's reputation for having an insurmountable and repulsive appetite for sexual deviancy was never far from her thoughts.

With great relief, she stood under the warm, pulsating, falling water and rubbed the silky, gloppy 'soap' all over her body, and by gods, Regina was right: it was luxurious. For a long moment, Emma ceased to worry about her potential fate as her mind wandered to the sense memory of Regina stroking her hair until she fell asleep (passed out) the night before.

After she was fully devoid of dirt and sufficiently covered in vanilla emollient, she rinsed off one final time and stepped out of the shower feeling like a new woman. The headache and nausea, aftereffects from stupidly scarfing poison berries, had completely dissipated. While she still felt like she could rest, she also felt like she needed to eat.

First, she needed clothes, and then (after breakfast) she'd plot her daring escape from the Evil Queen's palace, and find her way back home. And (during breakfast) she'd be sure to ask what Regina wanted from her and get the answers she deserved once and for all.

Emma toweled dry and re-braided her hair, humming her special tune automatically as she dried off and braided up. When she was finished, she looked in distaste at her gown. It was covered in sticks, burrs, and dirt. In fact, Emma was certain she'd never ever gotten any of her garments so completely filthy. Her dress was ruined and she had nothing to wear aside from the rather modestly sized towel currently wrapped around her torso.

"Oh, Emma, are you finished yet?" Regina called through the door. "If so, turn the crank to the left to turn the water off."

She did as she was told, and then cleared her throat, "Um, I have no clean dress to adorn myself with. I cannot present myself until I'm decent."

A cloud of purple magic appeared suddenly at her feet and worked its way up around her body in a swirl. Emma felt a wave of shock and then a pleasant and familiar tingle as the magic wove a spell around her body.

The towel was stripped off and morphed into clothing that hugged her body just right—the trousers were especially tight around her buttocks and hips, and when the magic cleared Emma looked down at her now dressed body in complete shock. The cotton of her shirt was unlike anything the royal tailor had ever sewn, and the trousers were a curious dark blue, and the maroon colored jacket was made of fine leather with zips and buttons. The outfit fit her as fine as her ballroom gloves did.

Even though she had never in her life worn anything like this puzzling outfit, it felt good and it felt right stretched over her freshly washed and dried skin. Deciding she couldn't hide in the bathroom forever, she meekly emerged and re-entered the Queen's bedchamber while looking down so as not to meet Regina's eyes.

"Well?" Regina asked sounding so hopeful about something. "Does that outfit bring back any of your memories?"

Emma raised her head and looked over the outfit again, concentrating on what the Queen could possibly fathom she was supposed to remember. "I've never had trousers as tight as these ones, your majesty."

The Evil Queen sighed and plopped down on her fur covered chaise. "I was afraid you'd say that."

A short period of silence stretched across the room, Emma felt stiff and restricted in her new clothes and Regina seemed lost in her thoughts and disappointed.

Like clockwork, the silence was short lived when her belly grumbled for breakfast.


	6. Chapter 6

TW: rape mention

...

She may be evil, but the Queen could sure cook- or at least produce hot food by way of magic: pancakes, scrambled eggs (a little on the spicy side, but still fabulous), fried bacon with a note of apple smoke, and hot cocoa with cinnamon sprinkled whipped cream.

Emma's eyes bugged out at the mouth-watering display, but should she eat what this woman offered? This was too nice for someone with Regina's sort of reputation, it had to be a trap; a trap wrapped up in a delicious and tempting package. Emma weighed the pros and cons. So far Regina had been nothing but generous.

If this was an wicked plan to butter her up and then dole out cruel and unusual punishment, Emma hedged her bets that she should at least enjoy the 'buttering up' stage, before submitting to the torture.

"What is it?" Regina asked softly at Emma's hesitation. "Am I missing something that you like? I know! We need some gooey melted cheddar on those eggs."

Regina flicked her fingers and sure enough, cheese coated the scrambled eggs. Even at the Palace breakfast was usually a bowl of porridge and fruit. Emma had never seen a meal quite like this, and she was already at the Queen's mercy being a helpless and idiotic princess. She looked from the food down at her empty plate, and her stomach felt hollow and hungry.

"It's…um," Emma took in a breath, "Is this all for me?"

Regina circled around the table and took a seat beside her. She had changed from her shorty robe and nighty into a strange outfit, not all that dissimilar to the foreign, but admittedly comfortable outfit Emma currently wore.

"Well, I thought we could share this amount of food, but you were hungry enough to pig out on poison berries last night so please eat your fill. I can always make more," Regina watched as Emma took that as permission to heap up her plate with food. She slurped down a sip of cocoa- just a taste test—and it was so warm and tasty.

There was no question, "Thank you for breakfast."

"You're quite welcome, now please relax. If I had intentions of causing you harm you'd know it by now," Regina squared up to the table, placed her napkin in her lap and buttered a slice of toast for herself.

"You can understand if I'm suspicious. Please, if you may, explain why you don't intend to harm me, but wish to hold me captive? Perhaps you'd like to tie me up and toss me in the dungeon. There has to be a reason that the Evil Queen would return from exile and take such an interest in the Princess."

Emma stabbed at her pancake and continued, pointing her fork accusingly, "I know you wished to murder me the day I was born."

Her dramatic speech had less impact than she hoped due to her mouth being covered in syrup and talking around a big mouthful of buttermilk pancake that melted on her tongue like heaven.

But she digressed. Gods, Evil Queen's offerings were so seductive.

Regina stopped chewing; her cheeks remained puffed out adorably. Her body stiffened at the mention of murder. Her eyelashes fluttered rapidly before she swallowed her bite of food and said breathlessly, "That feels like a different lifetime…"

"I came here for answers. I'm not so naïve to believe every fairytale I've been told, but I do know a lot about your history, and not one kind word has ever been spoken about you in the Enchanted Forest."

Regina lifted her napkin off her lap and placed on over the remnants of her barely touched plate, "All I'm asking you is for the chance to tell you a different fairytale. If you want answers let me explain, and then maybe you'll remember who you really are."

The earnestness and desperation in Regina's voice compelled Emma to listen, "Fine." She shrugged, took a long drink from her cocoa and cast a sideways glance at the Queen. "I get it. You want to talk, I'll listen."

"All of those tales you've heard about me are true," Regina laughed without mirth, and Emma detected a tear shine in the other woman's eyes before she stood up and gestured at the enormous banquet table. "I remember sitting at this very table, with the King sitting right there and your mother at his side. She was just a girl back then, and really…I was not much passed childhood myself. I never wanted that life…I never wanted to be a Queen."

"Yes, I'm sure that was so hard for you," Emma rested her elbow on the table and placed her chin in her palm. She wasn't bored; quite the opposite, she found Regina compelling. There were depths of untold stories in the pained expressions she tried to cover. There was an old and deep hurt that Emma was somehow drawn to.

But she couldn't let the Evil Queen know that was how she felt, she had to remind herself over and over to act angry and annoyed. Really, she just came off and petty and bored.

"You know nothing of what my life was like," Regina narrowed her eyes. She rested one hand on her hip, craning her head forward and pointing at Emma as she walked closer. Emma must have hit a nerve, but the Evil Queen became that way because she was vain and super jealous of Snow White. Everybody knew that. The Evil Queen was a straight up psycho.

"Sorry," Emma mumbled in dejection, she wished she had another cup of cocoa as she was starting to feel like this conversation was going to get deep and long. "I guess I honestly don't understand. I mean my life has been wonderful and I'm just a princess. You were already a queen when you were way younger than me."

Emma squinted at Regina, still confused on how she looked the way she looked when she had to be years older than Emma's mom. Regina must use some powerful magic to keep her old booty looking like a cherry bomb…

Regina sat back down at the table and forced Emma to make eye contact when her gaze had inadvertently wandered south, "You never knew your grandfather."

"Yeah, because of you…" Emma scoffed at this woman's audacity. The topic at hand only served to remind her that she was speaking to a murderer. "But I know of Grandpa Leo. I pass his portrait every time I walk down our Great Hall. It says he was the kindest, most generous and most prosperous King to ever rule."

Regina cried out in disbelief and the guttural sound turned into a near desperate sob. She recovered quickly, but Emma knew that pain was real.

"Your kind, generous, prosperous 'Grandpa Leo' was my cruel, objectifying, rapist…" Regina's voice wavered as she spoke. "I may have been a Queen in title, but I can assure you that in this castle-I was treated as a prisoner."


	7. Chapter 7

**Every part of my aching heart**

Emma's mouth dropped open in horror. She was about to speak and defend her family, what Regina was saying couldn't be true...could it? She was about to call Regina a liar, but the more she listened and watched, in her heart she knew what the other woman was saying was authentic. She recognized that pain in the other woman's eyes.

But, she still wrestled with how she felt about it. No matter what had happened between Regina and Emma's grandfather it did not justify murder.

"You don't believe me," Regina stated quietly, her eyes bore into Emma's. It wasn't a question, but she couldn't bring herself to meet her sad gaze.

Emma squeezed her eyes shut. Her headache was beginning to return and she wanted to leave now.

Regina sighed, and her body crumpled forward, dejected, "I wish you could remember."

"It doesn't matter," Emma replied, cocking her head to side and setting her jaw firmly. "I think I had better be getting back to my parents and my son."

"I don't think we're finished here just yet," Regina said and Emma's eyes widened as she witnessed the other woman's frustration. Emma should have known she couldn't just waltz out of the Evil Queen's castle.

"I don't want to talk to you anymore. I want to go!" She shouted, and her head throbbed. Regina had been nothing but nice to her really, but this whole situation was too much. What was she even supposed to remember? She had more questions than answers and it was beginning to take a toll on her sensitive princess disposition. Maybe if she had a nice nap and a foot rub she'd feel in a better place to think about horrific past events.

"Emma, why on earth did you come here in the first place? You're very lucky that I'm… well, _me_ , and not the Evil Queen," Regina asked her, rubbing her temples. It looked as though Regina had her own headache.

"I wanted you to tell me what your true intentions are? Why did you come back and who do you think I am, that I'm supposed to remember some other life and land and just…what? Go with you there?" The exasperation she felt was unbearable. It was like she was torn between two completely different personas and feelings. She was drawn to Regina even when every fiber in her being cried out for her to run away.

"Yes, Emma! I don't know how to break you out of this. You—made a wish back in Storybrooke and the Evil Queen—not me—the other Evil Queen, sent you here. It's all make believe and I know there's got to be something I can do to get you to see who you really are."

"Take me there," Emma demanded, she set her jaw and nodded her head affirmatively. "If what you're saying in true, then take me to this Storybrooke and show me."

Regina's eyes widened and her jaw dropped in alarm, it seemed to Emma that she was thinking rapidly for excuses, "Uh…I don't know if that's a good idea, Emma."

"If you came from some other dimension or place, then you should be able to go back, right?" Emma felt fearful, and very uncertain. This was a big risk and quite possibly a terrible idea, but she had dreamed of this place—a sword had appeared under her bed after that dream. "The only way I'll believe you is if you take me to the land from where you come from."

Regina paced back and forth along the length of the table. She waved her hand and cleared all the breakfast dishes and left over food. Emma had the impression that this woman always cleaned when she was anxious. It was sort of endearing.

She spoke thoughtfully, "I could take you back, yes. I've arranged a magic bean for transport, but I'd much prefer you're not…like _this_ when we go home."

Okay, that was just insulting. "Like _what_?"

"Never mind," Regina whispered, Emma watched her swallow a lump in her throat. She glanced up, eyes searching for answers, she looked wary. "If you don't believe me and think I'm so villainous, then what do you hope to gain in traveling to a faraway, strange realm with me? I can't guarantee you protection, and even if I could you don't trust me."

This was what perplexed Emma in even asking to go. She should be happy here in her life of Princess-ly duties, picking flowers, waiting for her true love to come sweep her off her feet…but there was something missing.

She smoothed her palms over the fabric of her tight, blue pants. She looked down at the red leather of her strange jacket. What Emma couldn't deny is how good and right it felt to wear this outfit and there was a tiny flickering flame in the back of her mind that told her to trust.

"Let's do this," she hardened her voice, leapt to her feet, and tried not to think about leaving her son, her parents and the only life she knew to jump into a portal with a known enemy of state.

"Emma, look at me," Regina walked close to her, and Emma felt heat rise up her chest. She remembered how it felt to wake up next to her in bed, and blushed harder. She could understand feeling fear in her heart when the Evil Queen stood too close, but this feeling wasn't the strike of fear in her heart, it was like a fleeting hit of pleasant adrenaline. The Queen pinched her chin softly and forced her to look up, "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"I'm sure," Emma confirmed, even when she really wasn't sure about anything, except that she wanted to go with Regina.

A short time later she was strolling along the rocky shored lake where her parents had become engaged, and Rumple-freaking-stilstin was chillin' like a literal villain, and holding out Regina's 'travel arrangement' and giggling like a drunken hose beast.


	8. Chapter 8

Rage against the dying of the light

"You want me to jump into the—the… what is it?" Emma shook her head in fear and stood back away from the Queen and the hobgoblin. She wanted to go with Regina, she trusted her – this was true, but she'd never done anything involving such a strong magic.

"Dearie, portal jumping is completely safe and all natural. Magic beans are entirely organic, hehehe," Rumplestiltskin said holding the bean out in offering.

Regina rolled her eyes and snatched it out of his sparkly hand. "Emma, its fine…we'll hold hands, jump feet first. " She seemed to consider something before continuing, "of course, the landing is always tricky. Follow my lead and if you can—tuck and roll."

"Uh, no! Like no way, how can we both fit through a bean?"

"It's a portal, it stretches…" Regina answered, seemingly losing patience. Emma could understand why. She had just got through telling her how brave she was and how much she wanted to go visit a different land, but in the face of it her cowardice was in full force. Regna sighed and tapped her foot.

"Alright…I can do this," she rubbed her fingers across the hem of her leather jacket drawing comfort.

"Good."

"Bye, bye, girls!" Rumple waved and gave his best ghastly smile, crinkling his nose and disappearing in a cloud of red smoke.

Regina looked her in the eye, licked her lips and gently took Emma's hand. "Together," she intoned with a nod.

Emma nodded tensely, "Together," she confirmed.

Regina threw the bean in the lake and a neon green light emanated from it, swirling and growing until the vortex was fully stretched. It reminded Emma of swimming in the lake surround the palace. It took her a long time to be brave enough to jump off the rocky outcropping and plunge into the water, but once she had done it, she couldn't get enough. She'd jump in, enjoy the rush of the fall and the excitement of hitting the water, and then swim to the edge and crawl up back up to the top to jump again and again until she was thoroughly exhausted.

She squeezed Regina's hand a bit harder and drew strength from her courage, and then without a second thought they were jumping and falling into the bright green unknown. Next thing Emma saw was the fast approaching hard ground and did her best to tuck and roll, but the execution would better be described as a 'buck and loll'. She rolled ass over ankles, and ended up with sticks and leaves in her hair as and forest mud all over her.

Emma also couldn't help but notice that she ended up on top of Regina, pinning her to the ground. They stared at each other, each woman breathing hard from the adrenaline rush that accompanies inter-realm travel, and Emma marveled at how good and soft Regina's body felt beneath her.

"Um…Emma?" Regina asked softly.

"Yes, Queen?" Emma breathed out huskily transfixed by Regina's beautiful features.

"Do you think you could get off of me? My tailbone is crunched against a rock…" Regina also seemed to be having difficulty drawing a breath, and Emma winced in realization that she was crushing the woman.

"Shit, yeah...sorry," Emma snapped out of the trance she had been in and scrambled to untangle herself. She hopped to her feet and extended her hand to help Regina up. "That wasn't so bad…wait, did we actually go anywhere? This looks like just like the Enchanted Forest?"

"We're in Storybrooke, and yes, the woods here were created to resemble the Enchanted Forest. There are many similarities, but the differences here…are significant."

Regina brushed herself off and Emma did the same. She started hiking so Emma followed along left in silence with her thoughts until they walked out of the woods and onto a road like she had never seen.

"Damn, portal never dumps you out exactly where you want to be," Regina grumbled. She took a deep breath and cracked her neck as Emma stared at the sign by the road that read, "Leaving Storybrooke."

"This is Storybrooke? Like my dream! I have dreamed of this place…it feels familiar, but so different," Emma tried to remember her dreams better, but they were dark and in pieces. She furrowed her brow when Regina came to stand next to her for a minute. "We're taking a short cut," and with that she brought up her hands and Emma only saw a brief purple blur before she was magically standing indoors.

"Wow, what was that?" Emma asked excitedly, checking her hands and touching her body to make sure she was still in one piece. "So cool! I mean… you shouldn't use magic on me without my permission."

"Yeah, yeah, I saved us a three mile walk…it's not worth walking if I don't have my Fitbit to count the steps," Regina took off her coat and hung it in her coat closet. "This is my house…you usually make yourself right at home no matter what I say…"

Emma looked around. The house was big and lavish and much warmer feeling than the Queen's cold and ruined castle. "Do you have any juice? I'm thirsty."

"Kitchen is that way, you can check the fridge," Regina pointed down the hall and then probably remembering Emma's unfortunate difficulties confusing the shower and the toilet, accompanied her. "This way, I don't know if I have any orange, but I'm sure I have apple."

Regina walked into the kitchen and grabbed two glasses and set them on the counter, while Emma looked around at the appliances curiously. "What does that do?"

"Microwave… it heats food quickly."

Regina paused as she opened the door on the strange box full of food and light, "On second thought, if I have to deal with 'Medieval times Emma' I think we could both use something stronger." Regina lifted her head and closed the door. She turned around and straightened her shoulders, "How would you like a glass of the best apple cider you've ever tasted?"


End file.
